Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Brecciated, Clastic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Metamorphic rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
-
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
-
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
India, Russia
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
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Breccia vs Variolite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Breccia vs Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Breccia vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Breccia include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Variolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Breccia in construction industry include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Breccia and Variolite
Here you can know more about Breccia and Variolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Variolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Variolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors whereas, Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Variolite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Variolite. The hardness of Breccia is 7 and that of Variolite is 6. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Breccia is white while that of Variolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Breccia is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.